senseless

Today, I am grateful for two under appreciated senses: taste and smell. Of the five we talk about, these two seem to be the least necessary, but life isn't complete without them. I've had a cold for the past few days and it blocked my sense of taste and smell for the first two days. I could tell if something was sweet or salty in my mouth and I got whiffs of fragrant suds in the shower, but I couldn't get true flavors or scents. I so wanted to taste our new Trader Joe's find, Sweet Potato soup, and enjoy some salt and vinegar potato chips, but my nose couldn't do any smelling and my mouth couldn't do any real tasting. Unfortunately, I still had an appetite so I ate, but more out of obligation than desire.

Sometimes, I don't appreciate odors like the smell of leftovers rotting in the fridge or the sick scent of a rat decaying in our wall, but what would happen if I couldn't smell those things? What if I couldn't taste the bitter bite to a rancid nut or the moldy muck of an over-ripe banana? My body (and Kent) would be in trouble. Thus, I am grateful for my sense of taste and smell. I'll take the foul smells and tastes as long as I get the pleasant scent of pine and the quirky taste of kiwi, too.

Here's a little something for you to see and hear.

good old saint nick

Santa followed us to Kent's parents' house this year and really out did himself.

Kent received lots of books and....

that's right, Beatles Rockband.

Kent has been wanting that game since last spring, so it was high time it made its way into the Sommer household.

Now we can become rockstars in our own living room. I'll be honest, when that microphone is in my hand and I get a "4x FAB!" I feel prit-tee awesome.

Apparently, I was not born to be a drummer though. My foot/hand coordination skills are lacking. Kent is pretty good, but Lance was fantastic.

Kent also got Super Mario Bros. and it took me back to the days of the old Nintendo. I still remember how pleased I felt when I beat world 8. I wonder if I'll feel that way again if/when we beat the Wii version. Let's hope so.

We played it every day until 1am while we were in Claremont and we didn't get sick of it. Kent also got a soccer video game from his brother, so we're set for awhile.

Santa brought me a new camera and I'm photo-happy at the moment. I took 915 pictures in a week and a half period. Crazy, I know.

Mom & Dad Sommer made lots of delicious food including Rouladen, a traditional German dish, for Christmas Eve dinner. (Sorry, no picture-I wasn't photo-happy yet.) Kent's grandma used to make it every year and Shanon is carrying on the tradition. I think I'll have to learn how to make it so I can pass it along as well.

Lots of goodies were lying around....

and we were more than happy to partake.

Somehow, I managed to spend every Christmas with my family until this year. That's 29 Christmas pasts! I thought it might be hard being away, but Christmas with the Sommers was wonderful.

Following Sommer tradition, we took the 'after church Christmas photo' in front of the tree to document our family. Don't be surprised if you see this shot next year and the year after that and the year after that and the year after that, etc.

Christmas 2009 was great. I'm glad Santa found us and I'm glad I learned about some old/new traditions.

Ode to a Grocery Cart

I was on my way home,
from an evening jog,
My legs slightly weary,
my mind in a fog,

When all of the sudden,
To my surprise,
Appeared a grocery cart,
Before my very eyes.

Such a beauty she was,
Her metallic glory and sheen,

And I thought to myself,
"Who can we thank,
For this delightful machine?"

Living on the corner,
can be quite nice,
But gifts like this have surfaced,
Not once, but twice.

Who knows how long
She shall remain,
But thank you, dear someone,
For sprucing up our lane.

loving your locale

Long Beach is growing on me. Every once in awhile we discover places and things to do that endear me to this city. When we find hidden treasures like we did last night, it makes things like Kent's commute and the "scary" LBC pockets worth it.While I don't think we'll live here forever, I would be content to stay for another year or so.

We took advantage of our older-feeling part of town (lots of diners and small businesses) for 'date night' last night. I always run by the restaurant below and I thought it was high time we tried it.

Baba Ghanouj

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but the inside was well-decorated, the food was authentic and very good, and the waitresses were friendly and accommodating. The hostess even had an accent. I'm not sure if she was actually Lebanese, but it was a nice touch. Their sauteed potatoes and lamb sausage (I can't remember what it was called) were my favorite entrees. It reminded me of my Near Eastern study abroad experience (something I hold dear to my heart) so I couldn't help but love it.

Unfortunately, we were running a little late for out next activity, so we had to pack up our food and rush across the street to watch....

A Christmas Carol

The production was held in a furniture warehouse so we didn't know what to expect when we walked in. Luckily, we were pleasantly surprised. I'm not sure if the performers were Long Beach locals, but I do know they did a fantastic job. All of the characters were portrayed well and were really talented. You could definitely tell they had experience; good singing and acting.

Side note: Direct mail works. If we hadn't received a little postcard in the mail from the Long Beach Shakespeare Company, we wouldn't have known about the play and we would have missed out on a great, festive performance.

Oh, Long Beach. Such mixed feelings we have for you, but thank you for making our evening so enriching last night. We're going to try to get to know you as well as possible before we leave.

What's around the corner in your neighborhood?

fun on the job

A few weeks ago, Kent and I had the opportunity to go to Catalina for a small church meeting/service. Catalina Island is part of our ward; they aren't an official branch, but a few members and the elders get together to hold a Spanish service and a small (very small) English service. I referred to them as a "branch" once and I was quickly corrected. They really are just a small gathering of church members: two elders, an older couple who lives on Catalina (they head things up for the group) and Kent and I were the only ones present at the English session, which, was held on the top floor of a bank building. The Spanish session was better attended, maybe 10-15 people showed up, but with so few people, I felt like a missionary. It was great.

I'm glad Kent and I get to do so many fun activities together. He is my favorite person to hang out with and I love his goodness and example. Just look at him, how you can you not love him?

All in all, a wonderful Sunday activity. A boat ride, Catalina, church and time well spent with my husband. Next time we go to Catalina, I want to see the Bison, drive a golf cart around, stay in a quaint bed and breakfast and hike the island trails. Seems like it could be one enjoyable weekend getaway.

this brand is my brand, this brand is your brand....

is to

as

is to

Yesterday, I went shopping at Walmart and it wasn't as fun as shopping at Target. They are both superstores, but Target is way better. Sure, Walmart has good prices, but I would rather go to Target; I like the atmosphere better. I could (and do) spend hours in there walking up and down the aisles. Conversely, when I go to Walmart, I want to get out as fast as possible.

Target wasn't always what it is today though. It was a pretty regular megastore when I was kid, but it came back with a vengeance in the 90s. Same thing with Apple. My family had an Apple IIe when I was little. I remember my sister and I would play Frogger and a game called Word Wizard all the time. I'm not sure what happened to Apple from 1987-1999, but they came back with the same gusto and popularity as Target, making your standard PC look utterly normal.

I find it fascinating that you can have the same product or service, yet one can be much more popular than the other. I don't have an Apple/Mac at the moment, but I want one. And Walmart is a fine store, but Target is the best megastore out there. If there is one nearby, it is my store of choice.

I'm not really sure how Target and Apple made a comeback, but they did and they are two of my favorites.

preview

If you didn't want a baby before you watched this, do you want one now?

So excited to see this documentary.